Honey and Vineger
by StargateChloe
Summary: How Carson convinced Mrs. Hughes to have the reception in the Great Hall after all.


**A/N: I wrote this fic because, while I really like the idea of the Carsons having their reception at the Great Hall, I think Carson went about things the completely wrong way. I was also a little surprised about Mrs. Hughes objection until it occurred to me that she might have some deeper issues that Carson would need to address before she would agree to what he and the family wanted.**

All of the other servants had gone up for the night. Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes headed to their respective offices when their eyes met. They met with equal determination. The engaged couple glared at each other for several moments.

"You won't even consider having the reception here, will you?" Mr. Carson finally asked.

Mrs. Hughes shook her head. "You still don't understand."

"You're the one that doesn't understand." Mr. Carson furrowed his brow and rugged at his waistcoat.

"Oh, I understand." Mrs. Hughes was angrier than ever. "I understand that you care more about pleasing the Crawleys and the Blessed Lady Mary than you could ever care about our marriage, let alone the wedding reception. Admit it: you love her more than you love me. It's Haxby all over again!" She said it. She never meant to. She never meant to go into exactly why she had all this animosity toward the eldest Crawley daughter. She didn't want him to see just how silly she really was over him. She darted into her sitting room, slammed the door behind her, and began to sob. He hung his head and sighed. Righteous indignation gave way to profound tenderness. He now understood exactly what was going through her mind, and he was ready to completely give into her. But first, he wanted to make one last attempt to make her see what was going through his mind. He turned the doorknob and was relieved that she did not think to lock it.

"Mrs. Hughes?" He poked his head in.

"Just let me be, Mr. Carson." She had her back turned to him. "I might as well just face the truth, hadn't I?"

"I've decided that we can have the reception at the school or wherever you want. After all, as you pointed out earlier, you _are_ the bride."

A new batch of tears streamed down Mrs. Hughes' face. "Thank you, Mr. Carson. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Well, there is one condition, Mrs. Hughes."

"Which is?"

"Come with me."

She followed him upstairs. Up to the Great Hall. "Are you certain we should be doing this?" She asked. "What if one of them comes down and sees us?"

"I thought you didn't care about what they thought."

"I care about staying out of trouble with them."

He smirked as he took a key out of the pocket of his waistcoat and opened the large door. As soon as they were inside, he flipped the switch and turned on one of the wall lights. "I have a lot of fond memories that took place in this room."

"I'm sure you do. No one can question your devotion to the Crawleys."

"I especially remember all the servant's balls we've had here. Seeing Lady Grantham and Lady Mary in their finest gowns, and of course, the Dowager…"

Mrs. Hughes huffed. "Yes, of course." She was about to fold her arms when she felt Mr. Carson take her hand.

"But _you_ , my dear, were the one I couldn't keep my eyes off of. It was the only time I ever really envied Lord Grantham."

"Because he got to dance the first dance with me?"

"Precisely. You always moved so gracefully. Like an angel."

Mrs. Hughes blushed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, you may."

"When did you know?"

"I'm not entirely sure. It just happened slowly over the years. I fought it and fought it because of our positions, but that day on the beach, I realized I was fighting a futile war with my heart. What about you?"

"I remember the exact moment I fell in love with you."

"Oh? Do tell, Mrs. Hughes, do tell."

"I had only been here about a fortnight. The other housemaids and I were preparing this room for Lady Mary's birthday celebration when a few of the footmen decided that it might be fun to come in and distract the maids. They were shamelessly carrying about with all manner of flirtations. Well, of course, I had to put a stop to it."

"Of course."

"Well, when I tried, one of them began to mock my Scottish accent. He then took my duster and threw it to another. I struggled for several minutes to get it back until a hall boy pushed me over. I thought I was going to land right onto a lit candle. The next thing I knew, I was dangling off of you. I had never felt so safe in my entire life. It was like my heart left my bosom to be with your heart."

Tears were welling up in Mr. Carson's eyes as Mrs. Hughes told her tale. "I never knew." He whispered.

"And then, the next evening, something went wrong with the preparations. I forget exactly what it was. You came in asked to speak to me outside. As soon as we were out of an earshot, you began to berate me almost endlessly." A sad expression came over Mrs. Hughes' face. "As soon as you left, I went downstairs to have a quick moment to cry, hoping you wouldn't catch me. Later, I saw you consoling Lady Mary. You were so tender with her. I couldn't help but feel envy."

Mr. Carson sighed. "I had no idea." He said softly. He then released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Mrs. Hughes, I swear to you from this moment onward, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you never shed another tear again."

Mrs. Hughes closed her eyes and took in the moment. One of the sweetest moments she had in quite a while. Even sweeter than the moment they had established that theirs was going to be a full marriage. Just then, she saw the piano in the corner. A thought flashed into her mind. Her brow furrowed, and Mr. Carson could tell that she was deep in thought.

"What is it?" He asked softly.

"Christmas Eve."

"Yes, I proposed to you. What about it?"

"Do you remember what was going on as we were going down into your pantry?"

"I'm not quite sure. I was such a bundle of nerves over the conversation we were about to have."

"Lady Mary was singing."

"Was she? I didn't notice. All I could think of was how close I was to making you mine."

Mrs. Hughes blushed and smiled. "You're really that in love with me?"

"I am, my darling Mrs. Hughes, and I will love you for as long as Stonehenge is in Whiltshire."

"All right, all right!"

Carson furrowed his brow. "I declare my undying love for you, and your response is 'all right'?"

Mrs. Hughes sighed. "All right, we can have the reception here."

"You really mean it?" Mr. Carson looked as hopeful as a kid who had just been told he can keep a stray puppy.

Mrs. Hughes nodded her head. "Yes, I do. I should have known by now that-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Mr. Carson had scooped her up and was twirling her around. When her feet touched the ground again, he bent down and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.

The next morning, the Dowager had come over for morning tea. "Any more progress on the wedding reception plans, Carson?"

"I believe Mrs. Hughes and I have finally come to an agreement."

"Which is?"

"The reception will be held in the Great Hall."

Both Cora and Mary were thrilled. "So, Carson, how did you ever convince her?" Mary asked.

"I'm sure that once Carson figured out how women like Mrs. Hughes think," The Dowager replied, "He could launch a proper attack. Isn't that right, Carson?"

"Indeed, it is, M'Lady." Carson and the Dowager shared a knowing smile while Cora and Mary just sat there totally bewildered.


End file.
